Eve of the Exam

"Naruto Uzumaki..."

Kakashi repeated the name in a low voice, a flicker of regret in his eyes.

He knew the name, and he knew the boy's identity.

The orphan of the Fourth Hokage, the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.

A faint sense of guilt surfaced.

Over the years, Kakashi had been lost in self-indulgence and memories, never truly visiting his teacher's child.

* * *

Carefully considered, it had been twelve years!

He wondered how Naruto had been doing all these years.

Thinking of this, Kakashi closed his book and, with a tone that was still relaxed but held a hint of seriousness, asked, "What do you need me for?"

"I was just a little curious. A powerful Ninja like you, why are you so leisurely reading a book here? Shouldn't you be on a mission?"

Naruto shook his head and asked in a relaxed tone.

"I usually have missions," Kakashi scratched his head, helpless. "But I'm going to be leading the new batch of Genin soon, so I'm on temporary leave. Perhaps... I'll be your Jonin Instructor."

Naruto smiled slightly.

Of course, he knew Kakashi would become his teacher.

Naruto had already experienced all of this countless times.

But at this moment, Naruto simply nodded and said very cooperatively, "Really? Then I'm looking forward to it. If I can become your student, I'll definitely make a lot of progress."

Kakashi looked at Naruto's cheerful expression, feeling a little surprised.

He had originally thought that a Jinchuriki's childhood would be darker and lonelier...

But the blond-haired youth before him had clear eyes and an open smile, showing no trace of gloom.

He even possessed a sense of composure.

This detail put Kakashi a little more at ease.

Kakashi said, "Then let's look forward to tomorrow's graduation exam."

"Yeah," Naruto's response carried a hint of deeper meaning. "There's something very important tomorrow. I'll see you at the graduation orientation then."

Kakashi nodded. "Ah... goodbye."

The two then passed each other.

But Kakashi didn't go far. After a few steps, he stopped and turned to watch Naruto's receding back, thoughtfully opening his Icha Icha Paradise again.

Yet, he couldn't read another word.

After saying goodbye to Kakashi, Naruto saw another figure at the base of his apartment building.

He was lowering his head, pacing back and forth in the shadows where the streetlight didn't reach, his mind seemingly engaged in a fierce battle.

It was Sasuke!

Naruto suddenly remembered that in many of his previous loops, if he defeated Sasuke in a spar, he would act like this.

After training and eating dinner, he would undergo a mental struggle before coming to Naruto's house, hesitating whether to go up and ask for the secret to becoming stronger.

Most of the time, Sasuke would eventually choose to leave in silence due to pride or other reasons.

It wasn't until a certain loop, after Team 7 was formed and they truly opened up to each other, that Naruto accidentally learned that every time he went home, Sasuke would linger downstairs shortly after.

In one loop, Naruto even deliberately hid behind the window to watch the conflicted Sasuke, finding it quite amusing.

This time, due to his conversation with Kakashi and his thoughts about the Hyuga along the way, he returned at just the right moment, and they ran into each other.

Naruto's expression was neutral as he naturally walked forward and greeted him, "Yo, Sasuke."

Sasuke was startled and quickly looked up. Seeing that it was Naruto, he immediately forced himself to remain calm, turned his face away, and snorted, "You... why are you back so late? I didn't see you at the training grounds."

Naruto smiled slightly, his tone laced with a bit of teasing. "This morning I gave the past Hokage a tattoo, and after school, I cleaned it off for them."

"So, you were hanging around my house, were you lost? I remember your house is in the other direction."

Sasuke's expression stiffened, his cheeks heating up slightly, and he replied stiffly, "You... mind your own business!"

"So, are you here to see me? Is there something you need?"

Naruto shrugged and got straight to the point.

The air fell silent for a few seconds.

Sasuke pursed his lips, as if he had made a decision, casting aside his useless pride and shame. He looked up, meeting Naruto's eyes directly, and asked, "The Taijutsu you used today... and the Shuriken, how did you learn them? Can you tell me? I have a reason why I must become stronger."

Naruto was slightly taken aback.

This was somewhat unexpected.

In previous loops, even when Sasuke came to find him, it was usually through indirect means or forceful questioning. He rarely expressed his requests so directly and frankly.

It seems that in this reincarnation, it was because I ran into him face-to-face, coupled with a different tone and attitude?

Naruto knew very well that even a slight change could lead to subtle or significant changes in subsequent events.

This was an effect Naruto had learned from his many reincarnations.

Naruto looked at Sasuke's eyes, filled with unwavering determination, and after a moment of thought, he spoke, "Is that so... It's not impossible to tell you, but let's talk about it after the graduation exam. It's so late now, you should go home and sleep."

After speaking, Naruto turned and headed for the stairs.

Sasuke watched Naruto's unhesitating back and grew anxious. Another question that had troubled him all day blurted out, "Wait!"

"Did you really get stronger suddenly, or have you been hiding your strength all along? I don't quite believe your answer from this afternoon..."

Naruto heard this, stopped, and turned back.

His sapphire-like eyes held a complex expression.

Naruto looked at Sasuke quietly for a while before slowly saying, "Hiding my strength? What's the benefit? I really only 'woke up' recently, but the reason... I'll tell you later."

After speaking, Naruto walked into the building, his footsteps gradually fading in the stairwell.

Sasuke was left standing alone, the evening breeze blowing through his dark hair.

The confusion in his heart had not diminished; instead, it had grown.

But Sasuke was more certain of one thing.

Something significant had happened to Naruto Uzumaki that he was unaware of.

Sasuke looked up at the rooftop, which was Naruto's home.

It seemed he could only wait...

Perhaps he would find an answer after the graduation exam.

The next day.

When Naruto walked into the classroom, many people were already seated.

He habitually scanned everyone in the classroom.

Each person, their seating positions, were exactly the same as in countless previous reincarnations.

Of course, there might be minor discrepancies in the details.

This depended on the different actions Naruto had taken after restarting the reincarnation.

Naruto paused briefly at the doorway, his gaze falling on Hinata Hyuga, who was sitting by the window.

She was looking down at a book on her desk, her white eyes focused and quiet.

Recalling their brief conversation yesterday, and the subtle moments he had overlooked in earlier reincarnations, Naruto walked towards her.

"Good morning, Hinata."

Hinata looked up upon hearing the familiar voice, her cheeks quickly flushing. Her fingers instinctively tightened their grip on the book pages.

However, compared to her flustered state yesterday, she was clearly calmer today.

"G-good morning, Naruto-kun."

Hinata replied softly, her voice quiet but very clear.

Naruto smiled and said no more, walking towards his own seat.

The others in the classroom also noticed this.

Ino Yamanaka nudged Sakura beside her, lowering her voice, "See? I told you Naruto was acting really strange since yesterday."

Sakura didn't reply.

She watched Naruto walk to his seat, her brow furrowed slightly.

Indeed, Naruto had changed.

He was no longer the one who would always come over and greet her loudly, trying to get her attention.

Today, he hadn't even glanced her way.